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The Feud on Hallister (complete)
For a shorter, more narrative version, see The Feud on Hallister. For this and other adventures in the Policenauts campaign, see Policenauts timeline. 3017 December Dec. 30 (Tuesday): A shooting occurred on planet Hallister which had a population of about 6,000 people. (Policenauts adventure 2018 08 23) 3018 January Jan. 2 - 4 (Friday - Sunday): On Friday, Galaxy Police Organization (GPO) element leaders (rank 1) Stewart Cowick and Lora Dyné, and officers (rank 0) Espeé Bartlett, Serika Silver, and Jimmy Zhang reported to Chief Ariel Patchett, commander of Precinct 187, at GPO Headquarters on planet Veralta. The officers summoned were all part of Group C310. They were assigned to investigate a potential violent internal conflict on planet Hallister which had a population of about 6,000 people, half of those in Hallister City. A shooting had occurred on Dec. 30, 3017, which apparently ignited or increased the conflict. The team was assigned to 7B17, a 7000-series cutter. As the intended team leader was unavailable, the group was instructed to select their own; they chose Cowick. The crew of 7B17 included Captain Isabel Marino and officer T'Alara. The ship traveled to Hallister. (Policenauts adventure 2018 08 23) Jan. 3 (Saturday): Aboard cutter 7B17, Lora Dyné asked if anyone, particularly Serika Silver, was interested in playing a game; chess, gambling, or something else. Stewart Cowick did not express an interest in playing. Silver said she knew how to play some traditional games, but Jimmy Zhang suggested a game he had on his computer called SLURPS. It was a roleplaying game; Zhang said the letters stood for Sexy Love Role Playing System. He said if someone wanted to study it for a few days and learn how to run it. he'd love to play. Dyné suggested they play Poker. Dyné, Silver, and Zhang played. Dyné flirted during the game with Silver, and Silver flirted back. After a couple hours of play, Dyné won $25. Zhang said he was rusty after not having played at the academy; Dyné said he played well, but she had just been lucky. Silver asked Dyné if she knew how the sonic shower worked. Dyné asked Silver to show her. They left together to the puzzlement of Zhang, and the two women had a "steamy" encounter. Afterward, Dyné shared some Vichael White wine with Silver. (Policenauts adventure 2018 08 23) (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 06) (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 09) Jan. 4 (Sunday): Cutter 7B17 and its crew arrived at Hallister. Their attempts to made contact with Ground Control repeatedly failed. They received an automated response from the planetary automatic tracking system, which reported that Ground Control would contact them shortly. After waiting, this did not occur, and they began making a gradual descent. The ship picked up very garbled communication signals, but did hear words related to violence including "killing." Deciding to continue making a descent to investigate, they received an automated warning but still no contact from Ground Control. The ship continued to descend, and was fired upon by six missiles which they managed to either evade or destroy. They then received communication including an apology from Ground Control, and landed as instructed. They made contact with GPO officer Tyrell Haldane who was stationed on Hallister. He was sitting in a wheelchair with his left arm and both legs in slings, and had a bloody bandage on the right side of his head. (Policenauts adventure 2018 08 23) Still on Sunday, Lora Dyné moved to treat Tyrell Haldane, but Stewart Cowick said he was a fully-trained doctor and they could debrief Haldane in their ship's medical lab. However, Haldane said there was no time as "the miners and the foodies are fighting in the central plaza." The group walked toward the plaza in Hallister Hall. Dyné requested but was not granted use of a stunner. Before they arrived at the fight, a group of five people approached them coming around the corner from Boomer's Coffee shop. They were armed with bats, sticks, sporting equipment and tools. Cowick spoke to them diplomatically. One of the group openly recognized the GPO officers as police officers, but told the officers to get out of their way and tried to shoulder past. Dyné said they were on official business, and told the group to freeze; in return, a group members insulted the officers. Cowick tried diplomacy again, but the group became more physically violent and tried pushing their way through the group of GPO officers. Cowick denied Dyné's request to draw her weapon. Jimmy Zhang attempted to restrain one of the group, but was dragged. The officers heard a loud "bang" sound from the hall (which was used an an auditorium), and Cowick authorized the officers to draw their weapons. While officers entered the riot scene, Cowick continued attempting to be diplomatic, but Serika Silver said, "Negotiations have failed" and Dyné insisted Cowick use his stunner or let her use it. The officers began trying to subdue the battle with necessary but non-lethal use of force. In the midst of the battle, Dyné was loaned an omni blaster. The rioters used improvised weapons including throwing chairs and even podiums. However, the officers suppressed the riot. Cowick had Dyné take thumb identification of the suspects while he set up triage to begin medical treatment. and had Dyné see that the suspects were secured. Silver and Zhang had the wounded transported to a clinic, and they and Haldane met to coordinate with residents while Cowick and Dyné investigated the killing. Haldane said, "Well, Stanley Earthman blasted Eddie Dawson right there where your boss is standing" (this was in Hallister Hall). Earthman was identified as a miner, and Dawson as a "foodie," meaning a person in the food business. The body of Dawson was being held for medical examination, but Earthman had not been taken into custody. Haldane had information on where Earthman lived. As to Earthman, he said, "I know Stan has family, they're wherever he is. I know he's got a sister." While Cowick examined the crime scene, Dyné viewed a scene stealer with Haldane. It showed the area a few minutes after the shooting; Haldane said no recording of the shooting was known to exist. Haldane said, "Eddie was one of the food producers over to the west, and Stan was a miner with those guys to the east." The miners and foodies had significant conflict before the shooting. Hallister was originally settled by a mining consortium looking for "rare radioactives." Haldane said Barnham's Best Chicken made an agreement to operate its food business in "played out" mines in the west, but later began its own small mining operation. Some miners battered those bringing mined material for the food operation, and in turn Barnham's, which had an agreement to supply the miners with food, sent them "dank chicken." Haldane said he suspected the planetary commissioner or governor had left on a ship, possibly the Run Forrest which had departed at 13:00. Dyné told Haldane that Ground Control had not responded when their ship, the 7000-series cutter 7B17, attempted to make contact, and that a possibly automated system fired at the ship. Haldane identified one person who handled Ground Control, Jack Phogg, who also handled the post office and worked in "the office." He said that Phogg had been cooperative. Haldane said there were several witnesses to the shooting. While no recordings of the shooting were known, Haldane said, "But I got him (Earthman) going into and through the Hallister Hilton right afterwards. Tucking something under his vest too." Witnesses reported that Dawson and Earthman quickly identified each other, then, in front of a number of witnesses, Earthman pulled out a blaster and fatally wounded Dawson. Earthman then quickly left the scene without being stopped. Haldane said, "It all happened in 2-3 seconds." Dyné expressed suspicion about the event, asking, "Doesn't that sound a little odd to you?" (Policenauts adventure 2018 08 30) Jan. 4 (Sunday): Still at Hallister, Lora Dyné questioned people who had been involved in the fight earlier that day, particularly the five who had physically tried to push past the GPO officers. She informed that, because they were armed with dangerous even if improvised weapons, they could be charged with aggravated assault against a peace officer, a first degree felony. "A conviction for a first degree felony can result in not only a $10,000 fine, but five to 99 years, or even life, imprisonment. That's right, life imprisonment." She said if they cooperated in the investigation of Stanley Earthman and Eddie Dawson, GPO headquarters and even the team leader might be lenient, the team leader even before making a report. Dyné learned the five were all food producers for Barnham's Best Chickens who had just gotten off shift and were headed in to join the fight. Calvin Brody, the one who called Zhang and Dyné a "Cub Scout" and "Brownie," was a stock waste technician, and operated and maintained the cube chicken waste removal system. Arlo Robinson, feed line technician, maintained and operated the feed lines to the cube chickens. She had IDs on the others as well. The victim, Eddie Dawson, worked in canning. None of the five were apparently very close to him, but Eddie was a frequent face in what they call "the foodie bars." They claimed Stanley Earthman was "one of the most ornery miners in the crowd," who had freely threatened to shoot people in the past. However, with further investigation that appeared to be little more than talk, often related to anyone getting "too close" to his mining rig, a mining machine that he brought to town loaded with his haul. That was until, of course, the shooting. Eddie Dawson was armed with a vibroknife, but no firearm. The knife was not deployed. Dyné said the circumstances of the shooting seemed odd to her. Interim Team Leader Stewart Cowick reported remotely that an investigation of the victim's home found traces of a controlled substance in powdered form. They also found DNA evidence of Jilly Hong, reportedly the victim's girlfriend, at the home. Miners who had been involved in the fight told Dyné that they knew Barnham's Chicken had gotten in touch with the Interplanetary Food Producers Union which had sent some "thugs from other worlds" who had recently arrived. The miners were showing up to "welcome" them. She knew that a "consortium" ran the big mining works to the east. Serika Silver found that two ships had left Hallister since the fatal shooting of Eddie Dawson; The White Rabbit and the Run Forrest. The Braver than you Thought had arrived that morning and was scheduled to leave within the hour. Silver and Dyné rushed to speak with Jack Phogg of Ground Control. They asked him to delay the departure of the ship until they could check the ship's records without identifying that the delay had anything to do with GPO; he complied. Phogg expressed concern about GPO officer Tyrell Haldane; Dyné told him the officer was "injured, but doing all right." They did not find Stanley Earthman listed as a passenger, and an electronic check of photo IDs did not reveal anyone who looked like him. Dyné and Silver considered an on board search or checking the passenger list of the previous two ships. (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 06) Jan. 4 (Sunday): Still at Hallister, Lora Dyné and Serika Silver made contact with Ship's Master Barnaby Lucas of the Braver than you Thought. It was a small tramp freighter, with room for up to six passengers and three crew. Told by temporary Team Leader Stewart Cowick to act politely and quickly as the ship was preparing for takeoff, they did so. They asked the crew and passengers questions, and showed them a mugshot of Stanley Earthman, saying they wanted to ask him some questions. Cowick arrived, and began performing a quick search. Some people told Dyné and Silver they knew who Earthman was, but the GPO officers gathered no useful information. They received a report from Espeé Bartlett that there was a disturbance at the clinic. Espeé said, "Idiot patient team A confronting idiot patient team B by the elevators." While Cowick was continuing his search of the ship, he had Dyné and Serika Silver go in to assist. Dyné said, "Gotcha. Silver, if you're using the whip, can I borrow your stunner?" Silver let her borrow her blaster which included a stun setting, and the two called each other, "Sweetie," to which Jimmy Zhang, said, "Jesus Christ." Dyné and Silver found six food workers and four miners arguing. Dyné diplomatically got them separated, then diplomatically got some intruding food workers to leave. The other miners were "conspicuously well-behaved." Meanwhile, Cowick diplomatically concluded his search of the Braver than you Thought. Cowick then asked Barlett for a DNA report. She said, "We got Eddie, Stanley, and Jilly all worked up. Database should be done checking for interplanetary traces." Dyné acted as "sympathetic good cop" to the miners in their conflicts with the foodies. She was told, ""Yeah, I heard Stanley killed Eddie coz' Eddie killed his sister!" She and Silver learned the sister was named Stella Earthman, but got no details on her death. They also learned Stanley Earthman's broker was a man named Rufus O'Riley. Cowick arrived and told the people in the clinic that they could be held for rioting, but hinted that he might be lenient. As it was late at night, the GPO officers decided to continue their investigation in the morning. Cowick suggested to Isabel Marino that she might let the crew have shore leave. Cowick said, "Seems we aren't solving a murder so much as having to fix a society." He stayed at the Cooling Engines Hotel and Dyné and Silver stayed together at the Hallister Hilton where they could have "girl talk." (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 13) Jan. 5 (Monday): At 2 a.m., the GPO officers were woken up by an urgent call from fellow Officer Tyrell Haldane. He said, "Get the Hell up! They're shooting outside the Star Mart!" Hlaldane said he was in the doorway at the daycare center, and that the shooting was down in the corridor on the west side of the Star Mart. Espeé Bartlett, Stewart Cowick, Lora Dyné, Serika Silver, and Jimmy Zhang responded. Stewart told Isabel Marino to stay on the cutter unless called in, but to have holding cells ready. Dyné and Silver took the hotel elevator, but when the doors opened got hit with a flood of people. Silver got to the doors but fell outside them. Dyné failed to reach the doors, and the elevator went up. Silver had her whip, and Dyné had Silver's blaster. In the confusion, Haldane mistakenly told Cowick to freeze. He reported there were two groups of three or four people firing at each other. Silver reported she was pinned down near the elevators, and there was shooting back and forth on the Hallister Hilton ground floor. Gunfire destroyed the Hilton front door. Dyné managed to stop the elevator on the fourth floor, and got out. She went down the stairway, and saw a screaming man running on it. He collided with her. With the impact, she went over the railing, but managed to slide down the next railing past a group of panicked people who were running up the steps. Stewart faced three people who ran out of the Hilton and headed straight for him. One of them fired at him, and he fired back. One of the three took position at the closest Hilton door, another at the southwestern Star Mart door, and the other at the far Hilton door. Stewart started his tacnet to transmit information on his situation to the others. Silver saw a man shooting from the east. She tried sneaking up on him, but he saw her and fired. Silver was shot twice by his military-grade blaster rifle, once in the torso and once in the left leg. She dropped her neurolash, and fell. A witness reported she said, ""Tell Lora I love her, tell Lora I need her. Tell Lora not to cry, my love for her will never die." Serika Silver then died. Haldane covered for Cowick. During the battle, the shooter by the StarMart was shot in the left leg and fell down. Dyné got downstairs to the hotel lobby. She saw a man with a large gun behind a partition who was next to Silver who was lying on the ground. Dyné fired with the blaster set on stun; she shot the man in the crotch, and he went down. Dyné, who had a crash kit, began checking Silver. Meanwhile, Cowick fired shots at the man at the far Hilton door and missed. The man ran, and Cowick went after him. The man ran down the corridor, but turned and fired shots at Cowick. Cowick got behind the man at the Burger Fool, and slammed him. The man was still active, pointed at Cowick and fired, but was out of ammunition. Cowick shot him from close range, then took his pistol. (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 13) Jan. 5 (Monday) (continued): Lora Dyné opened a channel to Dr. Espeé Bartlett to send a team to help the recently dead Serika Silver. She frantically used first aid including a defibrillator to try and revive her. While she could not, she did keep the body in the best condition possible until Bartlett and T'Alara arrived. Dyné assisted Bartlett tranported the body of Silver and two prisoners including Donald Tornell, the man Dyné had found armed and standing by Silver's body, on a hauler. (If convicted of murdering Silver, Tornell faced possible life in prison, although such a criminal could be released if rehabilitated.) T'Alara stayed behind to to help secure the site and document the events. Silver's body was put in a chrysalis machine. Barlett, with Dyné's assistance, managed to revive Silver. Stewart Cowick, Jimmy Zhang, and Tyrell Haldane took Drake Whitley and Kya Green into custody; Whitley had lost a leg in the armed conflict. Bartlett send Isabel Marino back with the hauler; the scene of the shootings was recorded with a scene stealer. Dyné and Silver spoke briefly. They expressed their love for each other, and Dyné said she was resigning GPO as she was responsible for Silver's death. She had failed to stay with Silver, and had borrowed Silver's blaster. Silver said Dyné was not responsible, and made her promise not to resign on Silver's account. Dyné finally agreed, and Silver went back to sleep. Bartlett started to tell Dyné to leave, but noticed Silver was holding her hand, so relented. Dyné tried going to sleep by Silver. (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 15) (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 20) (GURPS Policenauts--Who's Who Hallister Adventure) Jan. 5 (Monday) (continued): Stewart Cowick worked on patients including sedating the wounded, secured prisoners, and did station paperwork until early in the morning. The prisoners included Drake Whitley, Kya Green, and Donald Tornell. Lora Dyné forensically determined that Tornell's blaster was the one that shot the fatally-wounded Serika Silver. Cowick determined that Tornell had bought the rifle from "a portly Asian lady." The GPO officers determined that four people involved in the fire fight had arrived on the Braver than you Thought. These were Tornell, Buck Lawrence, Gypsy Harker, and Tammy Harker (who had been shot and killed by miners outside of the StarMart). Tammy Harker had carried a heavy blaster. Cowick and Dyné agreed to call for off-world assistance. As the message drone that had summoned the GPO officers to planet Hallister had left to head for another planet, Cowick decided to have their ship go in orbit to send a message. Dyné made notes about her forensics analysis of Haldane's weapon and Silver's killing to add to the reports of Cowick and otherson on the situation including the battles. She told Cowick, "Stewart, you realize when Silver getting killed gets out, it's going to be a public relations nightmare." GPO officers Cowick, Dyné, and Jimmy Zhang went to search for the missing suspects. Cowick said, "We move as a team." Dyné agreed, saying, "I agree, sir. Let's all stick together from now on unless we have to separate." Zhang said, "Right." The trio moved to rental cabins, small shelters that visitors could rent. There were near the Hallister Hilton and the Centre Mall. Cowick learned the rental office was in the Planetary Office. They were granted access to the cabins. Two units were rented by the the four suspects, one deceased, from the Braver than you Thought. Dyné reminded Cowick that the suspects could have weapons that could kill her with one shot and Cowick with two (based on armor). Cowick said, "That's why you're staying in the chet." Dyné noted the chet had about the same armor as what Silver wore when she was killed by two shots. Cowick and Zhang entered the rented units, but found no people. The GPO officers found travel vouchers for Interplanetary Food Producer's Union: Local 64735, but they did not identify the suspects by name. The Interplanetary Food Producer's Union was a fairly well-known union in that part of space. Tyrone Barris was the director of off world relations. (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 15) (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 20) Jan. 5 (Monday) (continued): In the morning, Galaxy Police Organization (GPO) element leaders (rank 1) Stewart Cowick (temporary team leader) and Lora Dyné, and officers (rank 0) Espeé Bartlett, Tyrell Haldane, T'Alara, and Jimmy Zhang assembled at the Hallister Planetary Office, in the small Policenauts office. They discussed the current situation, including holes shot through the walls with a small amount of sulphur entering the air of the city's dome, Silver in the chrysalis machine, a prisoner who had lost a leg, etc. The officers received a report from GPO Officer Isabel Marino, captain of their ship 7B17, that the crew of a vessel named the Running on Fumes claimed they had a transfer of personnel and cargo for the GPO. The claim was verified, and the officers discussed their search for suspects. The GPO officers on board the Running on Fumes were Joseph Greene and Darriell Cartwright, both rank 0. Cartwright was a mainline human although with a scarred face, and Greene was sometimes described as "a teenage looking robot body with a holographically projected head like an anime girl" and a "kawaii teenage girl voice." Marino took them on board the 7B17. However, there was question about a third person, a non-GPO member named Sylvester Marx who said he wanted to be Hallister's planetary administrator. Marino talked to GPO officers on planet, and decided to take Marx on board. The officers on planet received a call from Mrs. Sparky Lucas who said she was representing the Interplanetary Food Producer's Union on Hallister. She wanted to talk over the phone, but Cowick convinced her to come in person. Cartwright and Greene met the officers on planet, and received a briefing of the current situation. Espeé Bartlett brought in Serika Silver, who had largely recovered from being dead, but was not completely healed. Cowick spoke with Lucas who had a male escort. She allowed them to make a copy of an agreement between the food producers union (not the "shop owners") and the Miner's Consortium. Dyné looked over the agreement. She saw nothing that prohibited the food workers from mining, but whether "expansion" would include that or not seemed unclear. Lucas said the two missing union suspects had talked to her once, she had no way of contacting them, and that they intended to surrender to the custody of an off-world authority. Lucas said, for security due to a possible threat from the miners, they had changed their location. Dyné asked if GPO could be told the location for the union's security, and Lucas said she did not have the authority to make such a decision. Dyné suggested a moderator, perhaps with representatives from food producers, miners, and other townspeople, could work to resolve their differences. Lucas said if Dyné could find a moderator, she would agree to participating in a meeting. Cowick said that if Lucas came in contact with the two suspects, they would have a fair trial. In response to a question from Cowick, Lucas said she believed Ms. Hong was a union member involved with Mr. Dawson, but had left suddenly. Cowick and Dyné disagreed over how to proceed. Cowick wanted officers to "walk the streets" to make their presence seen. Dyné believed that the presence of about six officers among 6,000 residents would not be impressive. Cowick said "the core of this mess" seemed to be restoring peace; Dyné emphasized the murder investigation. Greene said that he had a Lolthian-sized cybersuit to be disposed of as no-longer needed evidence from a previous case; it had a hole in the back. Zhang, who with Dyné was Lolitian, already had a cybersuit. Cartwright, Dyné, Greene, and Zhang went to the miner's consortium building. They wanted to speak with Rufus O'Riley, and received his phone number from a secretary. A recorded message said O'Riley was not at his office but could be at the Green Nugget. Dyné left a contact message, and the GPO officers headed for the Green Nugget. Loud conntry-rock music was playing, but was barely audible over the crowd. A "big, burly guy," J.D. Hanson, put his hand on Dyné's shoulder, and said, "This is a grown-up place. Buzz Bunny's is near the starport." Dyné said she was 21 years old. Greene got angry, and called the man a punk. Dyné tried to defuse his anger. Another insulted the GPO group. Dyné attempted to ignore them, but J.D. Hanson grabbed her shoulder again. "Nobody here gives a f* about the Galaxy Police or your official business. So get your little Shirley Temple ass out of here before you get spanked." Dyné had her hand on her blaster pistol. (Policenauts adventure 2018 09 20) Jan. 5 (Monday) (continued): Espeé Bartlett had told Stewart Cowick to get some sleep. Meanwhile, Darriell Cartwright, Lora Dyné, Joseph Greene, and Jimmy Zhang were in The Green Nugget. When J.D. Hanson had his hand grabbing Dyné's shoulder, she turned toward him with her blaster pistol aimed at his lower abdomen/crotch area and said, "Remove your hand now or I'm firing and that's not for stun." Cartwright grabbed J.D. Hanson's hand. Greene said, "You heard the lady, pal," and Cartwright said, "Hands to yourself, bro." J.D. Hanson then grabbed Cartwright around the neck from behind. Two armored people, Paolo Garcia and Stevie Murphy, in front of Dyné attempted to grapple her. Howie Mancini and Jim Taylor threatened by coming from behind Cartwright in addition to J.D. Hanson, another, Feliks Yelchin, in front of Greene, and another, Owen MacCianain, behind Zhang. Dyné ordered J.D. Hanson to let go of Cartwright's neck. Cartwright drew his grenade launcher. Greene used Karate and hit Feliks Yelchin and lifted him off of the ground. Feliks Yelchin backed out of the fight. Zhang made an attack, but Owen MacCianain dodged it. Dyné shot the armored J.D. Hanson with her blaster pistol, and Cartwright got away from him. J.D. Hanson backed off from the fight. Zhang made another attack, and Dyné shot Paolo Garcia near the clavicle as he was trying to grab her pistol hand/pistol. He continued trying to attack. Stevie Murphy tried to wrench her pistol arm up from near the shoulder. Dyné shot Paolo Garcia again who went down. Without aiming, she also shot Stevie Murphy near his ribs. Yong Zhào, who wore a cybersuit, began to attack Dyné with a buzzing knife while Owen MacCianain, who wore torso armor, had Zhang around the neck and was trying to twist. Greene shot Yong Zhào, stunning him and bringing him down. Howie Mancini, who with Jim Taylor attacked Cartwright, but Cartwright shot him with a tangler and "pasted" him to a table. Taylor dodged the tangle. Zhang wriggled free of Owen MacCianain, who then backed off into the crowd while Stevie Murphy scrambled away backwards. Dyné aimed at Stevie Murphy and yelled "Freeze!" He instead he bolted for the back door. She shot him, and he dropped to the floor with a cry. J.D. Hanson tried crawling away, and Dyné shouted "Freeze!" Cartwright stopped J.D. Hanson by grabbing him by the ankle. Suspects taken into custody were Paolo Garcia, J.D. Hanson, Howie Mancini, Owen MacCianain, Stevie Murphy, Jim Taylor, Feliks Yelchin, and Yong Zhào. Greene said somebody could watch the front door, and he'd watch the back door. Zhang stopped a suspect, and Greene locked the back door. Greene asked if all the GPO officers were OK; they were, except Zhang had a sore neck. Dyné treated Paolo Garcia, the worst injured of the suspects, with first aid, while others, including bartender Freddie Roberts, treated other suspects. Paolo Garcia was mortally wounded; Stevie Murphy and J.D. Hanson were seriously injured; Yong Zhào was stunned; Howie Mancini was "pasted to a table." Greene said that anyone who wasn't injured or helping with first aid "should lie down on floor, face down, hands behind head!" There were about 12 people in the bar who were not involved in the fight. T'Alara asked and was told to bring the CHET. Greene asked Freddie if the bar had survelliance; he said it did not. Cartwright IDed those present in the bar, finishing at about the same time the first aid was completed. The non-combantants were let go one by one, until Rufus O'Reily, broker for murder suspect Stanley Earthman, remained. Dyné questioned O'Reily in a "no nonsense" manner, and learned where Earthman lived. O'Reily suspected Earthman was "a little crazy," and to be careful. O'Reily said he thought Stella Earthman, Stanley Earthman's sister, might have died from a bad dose of drugs, which led to Earthman going "unhinged." He thought perhaps Dawson may have had something to do with it. O'Reily said Earthman had two brothers, Elton Earthman and Armand Earthman, and buddies Will Yardley and Merrick Beams working for him, and gave her their contact information. Dyné asked him if he needed any protection, and he said no. O'Reily left. Espeé Bartlett and T'Alara arrived with the CHET. They took the injured, who were restrained. (Policenauts adventure 2018 10 04) (GURPS Policenauts--Who's Who Hallister Adventure) Jan. 5 (Monday) (continued): Serika Silver said she wanted to speak with Lora Dyné in private "about us." She told Lora that she loved her, but that their relationship had moved very fast for 3 1/2 days. She suggested they also date other people. Dyné cried, but agreed with Silver saying she wanted them to each get to know each other better including visiting each other's homes. (Lora and Serika conversation 2018 10 06) Jan. 6 (Tuesday): Zeke Bell, part of a group of 15 males and 5 females, spoke to Stewart Cowick about forming a town militia; they were later joined by Sylvester Marx. Jimmy Zhang and Darriell Cartwright went to investigate the home of the Planetary Commissioner Verna Higgins as she was suspected of having left the planet. Lora Dyné stayed with the suspects. Zhang and Cartwright bypassed the locks to enter the house of Planetary Commissioner Verna Higgins. They found closets opened, hangers strewn around and clothes gone; the place was in general disarray. They also found a note that said, "To whom it may concern, fuck you all. I'm outta here." It appeared to have been signed by the planetary commissioner. They also found a note to deactivate the missile satellite, which the handled Ground Control, Jack Phogg, would also have. Cowick used forensics to verify the note was written by the apparently now former Planetary Commissioner Verna Higgins. At Cartwright's suggestion, Dyné agreed to check computer records to look for the "governor's log" or something similar that the commissioner might have that would cover notable events. Dyné found nothing significant in the log other than her personal recollections and frustrations. Higgins noted people that she's talked to in both factions. Isabel Marino reported that cutter was approaching. Group Leader Humphrey Hoyt was on board, and spoke with Cowick. Cowick told Hoyt the situation on planet was a "powder keg." Hoyt said he had a squad of 10 and that a 8000-class cutter was coming with 30 more officers. That would free the GPO officers already on planet to conduct the murder investigation. (Policenauts adventure 2018 10 11) (Policenauts adventure 2018 10 27) Jan. 6 (Tuesday) (continued): Group Leader Humphrey Hoyt received reports and recomendations from Stewart Cowick, Lora Dyné, and others, including Dyné's recommendation that the new officers not depend too much on their armor as two had been grabbed, one injured, and one killed in spite of it. Hoyt questioned the officers letting themselves get in such dangerous situations. Cowick, who was temporary team leader, said, "I'll be honest, this place is a powder keg with a bunch of pyromaniacs all over it and I officially hand it off to you." Hoyt was not happy that Chief Ariel Patchett had sent the group out without a team leader. The officers that had been on Hallister met the new ones, including Reylin "Lightning" Sand and Jayne Helden, the official team leader. Helden had been with the Galaxy Police for about a year, though mostly on administrative duty. Before that she was with the Veralta Jump Commandoes where she got wounded, getting mechanical legs as a result, and achieved the rank of colonel. Helden, Darriel Cartwright, Cowick, Dyné, Joseph Green, Sand, and Jimmy Zhang went in the Cutter 7B17, planning to go to the home of Stanley Earthman. Serika Silver wanted to go with them, but Helden told her to stay in the cutter. The group received cybersuits and omniblasters provided by GPO. Isabel Marino captained the shutter toward the house which was about 1000 km outside of town. At near 22:00 hours, T'Alara got a fix on the house from about 50 km away. It was essentially a rectangle with a smaller building attached to the front, and a 10-meter tower to the back. There was a large vehicle parked directly to the east. The smaller structure attached to the front was a garage (judging from tire tracks), And a door from the main building was close to the garage door. The area was mountanous directly to the north. There were isolated mountains and mesas to the south. All rocky features were heavily eroded by the sulphuric rains, "leaving everything looking a bit surrealistic." Large boulders were strewn all over the ground, eaten away from the mountains. There was no significant vegetation and no animal life beyond insectoid, and the landscape up to the mountain sloped uphill. Helden noticed that the roads in the area seemed to point to one spot. After checking, they suspected there was an obervation point or possibly a defense system of some kind there. The team debated over methiods of approach. The over the hill approach would avoid the sensor and might allow a close approach to the building, taking about two hours, but would be physically difficult. Going under the green sensor would take longer, about four hours, but be less gruelling. Isabel Marino said, "Or we can shoot both spots and land on the roof." Helden said, "Alright. We'll fly over the mountain, avoiding the mountain position, shoot the tower and land right outside. Tactical will cover and the Felix opens the door. Any opposition?" There were none. The cutter blasted the sensor position and, presumably weapon, on top of the tower. They detected several people on the second floor, and got the front door open. They split up, with Zhang at the front door and moving to open other locks, Sand looked for windows, Darriell was at the garage door, and Dyné was on the side of a dumptruck with a plow that was away from the house. Some of the group entered the house. Sand encountered a man inside the house and they fired at each other. Fortunately the man missed, and Sand used a weapon with dazzle lights to temporarily blind the man, who was later identified as Will Yardley, a known associate of Stanley Earthman. (Policenauts adventure 2018 10 27) Jan. 6 (Tuesday) (continued): The GPO officers assigned to Cutter 7B17 continued to look for suspects at the home of murder suspect Stanley Earthman. Helden and Sand found someone in the house hiding behind a bed, and had her stand up slowly with her hands raised. She was identified as Eartha Earthman, 60-year-old mother of Stanley Earthman and the late Stella Earthman. Dyné, with help from Silver, interrogated her. They spoke to her gently and helpfullly, said they didn't want to harm her son Stanley, and wanted him to have a fair trial. Eartha Earthman would not say where her son was, but said she would contact him. In the meantime, Zhang planted tracers in the car and the truck. The group noticed that, due to the tower having been shot, the harmful atmosphere was coming into the house. Will Yardley was coming out of his "dazzlement." The GPO officers, including Sand whom Yardley had attempted to shoot, decided to let Eartha Earthman and Will Yardley go, although Helden advised Yardley to tell Stanley Earthman to turn himself in and gave Yardley a warning. They did a quick DNA test to record the two people's genetic identities. The officers believed they could then track them, hopefully then finding Stanley Earthman. While others conducted a search, Serika Silver went with Eartha Earthman to pay respect at the grave of Stella Earthman. Dyné found Stanley Earthman's password, which was quite simple--more evidence he was not involved in an organized conspiracy. Sand checked records for the murder suspects weapons; it appeared they were purchased legally; he later checked the workshop, but didn't find anything illegal. Cowick discovered traces of the drug that homicide victim Eddie Dawson sold in the room of the late Stella Earthman. T'Alara reported from Cutter 7B17 that she was tracing the car that had just left with Eartha Earthman and Will Yardley. The group determined the truck had been used to dig Stella Earthman's grave. It had a digging attachment to the side, and the plow was on it, which had been used to put the dirt back into the grave. Silver had the truck dig up the grave. (Policenauts adventure 2018 11 03) Jan. 6 (Tuesday) (continued): Reylin "Lightning" Sand examined the contents of teh computer in the room of Stanley Earthman while Stewart Cowick checked for hidden compartments in the house. Sand found evidence of weapon controls; based on the recommendation of Lora Dyné that they not advertise their position, Team Leader Jayne Helden decided not to have the weapons' controls tested at that time, but had Sand seize the computer. Cowick found a basement equpped with an air filtration system, several rooms, two furnished for loving, and a patry full of preserved goods. Espeé Bartlett concluded Stella Earthman, Stanley Earthman's sister, died of a cardiac arrest. Opioid level was consistent with an overdose. The cutter continued to track the vehicle with Eartha Earthman, Stanley's mother, and his associate Will Yardley. The team used sensors inside the nearby mine. They detected a large non-moving heat source, and possibly others, but couldn't get a clear signal. The team did a "fly by," and Dyné got a reading of two people inside a tent. (Policenauts adventure 2018 11 08) Jan. 6 (Tuesday) (continued): The GPO officers on Cutter 7B17 over Hallister discussed the best way to deal; with the two suspects in the nearby mine. While they were in discussion, they received a report of a flying vessel closing in on their position that was flying "hot and low." The GPO cutter Skipper Isabel Marino said, "Unless you're in a seat, clear the bridge and buckle up!" The approaching ship fired. Evasive maneuvers avoided the attack, but did cause injuries to passengers who had not had a chance to get strapped in. After not receiving a response to permission to fire, T'Alara fired at and hit the other ship. It suffered a large explosion at the aft end and cartwheeled through the air, slamming into a mountain. Espeé Bartlett, Stewart Cowick, and Lora Dyné treated Darriell Cartwright, Jayne Helden, and Jimmy Zhang who was unconcious. Jayne Helden, Darriell Cartwright, Joseph Greene, Reylin "Lightning" Sand, Cowick, and Dyné traveled in the CHET to investigate the crashed ship while others stayed on board the cutter which kept in continual contact. Dyné and Sand entered the ship, and found a young female in the command area slumped in a chair; they quickly determined she was dead. Cowick and Sand, using different methods, found signs that two people were near and outside the ship; these included blood, foot prints and drag marks, where one person was apparently dragging another. Helden, Cartwright, Cowick, Dyné, and Sand approached the area in the rocks where the two people. The one who was up fired wildly; Sand grabbed him while he was firing, but Cartwright shot and stunned the man. The dragged person was an unconcious woman. Cowick and Dyné treated them both to get them stabilized, then Sand and others helped get them in the CHET. Serika Silver had made radio contact with Stanley Earthman, and convinced him to give himself up. She also convinced to put his defense system in statis mode. Earthman and Merrick Beams surrended themselves. Dyné interrogated them, and learned Earthman and Beams had a load of radioactives dug up and waiting outside, and had arranged for a smuggling ship to come and get them out of the area. Both were arrested peacefully. Many of the previously arrested suspects had been transported off planet Hallister. Greene returned to the ship. (Policenauts adventure 2018 11 22) Jan. 7 (Wednesday): GPO Group Leader Humphrey Hoyt approved a "Speech to the People of Hallilster" written by Lora Dyné that was spoken for broadcast by Serika Silver. (Policenauts adventure 2018 11 22) Jan. 7 (Wednesday) (continued): Silver was "nabbed" by Hallister Herald reporter Zita Hunter, known as the Hallister Hunter, immediately after making her speech. Hunter asked Silver how she was doing (Silver said she was OK). Hunter then questioned why, when she was an actor-observer for a media project, was she put in deadly situations without training, and why was she left alone and unprotected and then killed in a known firefight? Serika said she had been trained, and that she was with GPO Element Leader Lora Dyné when they were separated in a "mob panic." Hunter then asked if Dyné was the woman Silver had slept with the previous evening, and Silver said, "Who told you that?" She then said they shared a hotel room to save expenses. Hunter then asked, "Then how do you explain your dying statement before your revival: '"Tell Lora I love her, tell Lora I need her. Tell Lora not to cry, my love for her will never die?'" Silver said, "You might say anything when you're dying." The story appeared that day in the Hallister Herald news service as "Serika Silver Scandal." (Policenauts adventure sidebar 2018 12 28) Jan. 7 (Wednesday) (continued): Joseph Greene was assigned to stay on Hallister and Reylin "Lightning" Sand was assigned to join the team lead by Jayne Helden. Dyné shared a bottle of expensive Dyné Rosé wine from her family's wine company Vin de Dyné. Sand did not drink, but appreciated the aroma. (Policenauts adventure 2018 11 22) Jan. 8 (Thursday): Hallister Herald reporter Zita Hunter questioned GPO Group Leader Humphrey Hoyt. She said, "Humphrey Hoyt, you're group leader over Galactic Police Organization officers involved in what's being called 'The Feud on Hallister.' The GPO was investigating the killing of Eddie Dawson. Tell me, with the violence, including deadly riots and homicide, happening in Hallister City, why did GPO send in so few officers?" Hoyt said the GPO sent in as many officers as were available for a murder investigation, and that the violence did not begin to escalate until officers had already been dispatched. When GPO headquarters received word of the level of conflict, they dispatched additional officers immediately. Hunter also said, "Serika Silver, who starred in The Lovers of Queen Catherine, was killed while doing in-the-field research for a movie on the GPO. She was later revived. But witnesses report she was alone and armed only with a neurolash when she was killed. How could GPO have let this happen?" Hallister said Silver had been properly certified and did have sufficient weapons, but that unfortunately unexpected problems had developed in the field. But Silver was treated by GPO staff, and had made a full recovery. The story appeared that day in the Hallister Herald news service as "Is GPO Behind the Serika Silver Scandal?" (Policenauts adventure sidebar 2018 12 28) Jan. 11 (Friday): GPO Element Leader Lora Dyné went with GPO officer and actress Serika Silver to Silver's then current home, an apartment on Veralta. Silver received a message from her parents, Bernard Vernon Silverman (media production assistant), and Karen Susan Key (media production assistant), who were not at all happy about her death (although extremely thankful she was revived). They wanted her to come home to them immediately. Chief Ariel Patchett, commander of Precinct 187, at GPO Headquarters, told Silver that "The Feud on Hallister," particularly Silver's death, was "a public relations disaster." She heard virtually the same from Wolf Studios, which called it a "public relations nightmare." Silver faced the double possibility of GPO discharging her and of Wolf Studios cancelling the multimedia series she hoped would revive her career. Disguising their appearances, the two commiserated and wondered at their possible fate at the Bastard Rat Bar. (Policenauts adventure sidebar 2018 12 28) Category:Policenauts